Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Saw a thread about strings on a 650. Have been playing bass more than guitar lately, and before the switch I was getting frustrated by my 650 Dakota. Kept breaking D strings. I had 10's on it, put a set of 11's on, and really haven't done much with it since, until the other day when I took it out.

Seems that the tension on these strings is a bit high (Ernie Balls, I think), and the neck has a bit of a bow. Suggestions - should I go back to 10's and assume I was getting bum strings, or tweak the truss rods?

Also, I find the PU's a little dark? Anyone try toasters in a 650? Can it even be done? BTW, I have a 4004 L (my main bass) and love the same PU's in the bass...

Anyone try toasters in a 650? Can it even be done?

Yep - http://www.rickbeat.com/modelslibrary/650dvp/650dvp.htm

Ed, I use 11 or 12s on my 650s. I've never broken a string on one yet. Check your bridge, adjust the neck. Something doesn't seem right. P/ups could sound a little dark. What amp are you using? I use a '96 VOX AC-15, a Peavey Classic 30 and a variety of '50s/60s Rickenbacker amps. The guitar sounds different with every amp =-).

Phew: I thought it would be difficult to respond to 650 questions, but I see John and John did fine.

I'd suggest tweaking the truss rods - gently. I've found my 650D to be very responsive to such changes - I use D'Addario EXL-110s on mine, which are heavier on the bass side than the stock RIC strings, and it was very easy to adjust. Just set it up with little or no relief.

I haven't broken a string on any of my guitars for as long as I can remember. If the problem is persistent, there's more than likely a physical problem - do they break at the head, or at the bridge? If at the head, it may be a sharp edge on the tuner - sorry, keywind. With the roller bridge on the 650, it's hard to imagine something happening at that end, but anything is possible.

Now, where are the other 648?

The reason I wanted one was for the darker (humbucker) sound. All of my other guitars are somewhat bright (single coils). The 650 gives me a wider pallette from which to chose.

Now, if I could only find a vibrato unit for it!

The strings always broke at the bridge...my buddy I played guitar with at the time (still in my band) also had a similar issue with his 94 Strat. He was told that it was "burr" on a saddle. We looked with a magnifying glass on both guitars and saw no irregularities on either guitar. Was just strange that he had the problem after getting a pack with 10 sets of strings (those were D'Addario's) then a year or so later I started having the issue with Ernie Balls on my Rick.

Since we had gone through it with his guitar (also was the D string for him) we thought to check the bridge saddles...and figured it was bum strings or me being too hard. Thus I tried to use a heavier string...

Then I decided that auditioning bass players was futile since I play bass well, and it's been two years and I really don't play guitar much except to learn new tunes anymore.

As for amps, my guitar amp is a Peavey Triumph...the 120 W with 1 12". All in all a pretty clear amp that never gave me the impression of being "dark" with my other 6 string (a 1966 Fender Mustang with Dimarzio PU's). That amp has been at the rehearsal studio all this time, so I suppose I should bring it home and fire it up.

I think I'll try to tweak the trusses...the strings have A LOT of life in them since they've been hardly played, and even though they have been on for a couple of years they still are bright sounding un-amplified.

Thanks for the comments!

As for amps, my guitar amp is a Peavey Triumph...the 120 W with 1 12". All in all a pretty clear amp that never gave me the impression of being "dark" with my other 6 string (a 1966 Fender Mustang with Dimarzio PU's).

I had one of those some 15-18 years ago. Heavy little bugger isn't it?

I use 9-46 Daddarios on most of my guitars and I must say I have never broken a string on any of them (and they do stay on a while), and I do some heavy bending on those thin strings. The last time I did break a string was so long ago that I honestly can't remember.

The height of the bridge could have something to do with it ... I set my guitars pretty much the same (Rics as well as others) - straight neck, low bridge saddles as far as they can go without rattles.

I tend not to rest the palm of the picking hand on the bridge. If you do this, you may be getting sweat caught between the string and the saddle, our friend rust could be eating away at the string...

I do find the 650D not so much "dark" but dull on the thick strings especially when played clean, no matter what amp I use. I overcame this to a certain extent by increasing the mids on the amps. It plays great however on overdriven sounds.

It did bug me for a while, so, as some have suggested, I changed the volume pots to 500k instead of the 250k it came with. It's made it a little less dull in clean mode but I still find it not as "brilliant" as my Les Pauls.

I have the same idiosyncrasy with a Maton Mastersound 500 that I have.

'the strings have A LOT of life in them since they've been hardly played, and even though they have been on for a couple of years they still are bright sounding un-amplified.'

You are joking arn't you Ed? Two years? They'll break as soon as you look at them I would have thought. Mine are changed every week...any longer & breakages are inevitable.

Hmmm.. 500K pots. Didn't think of that. Thanks for the idea Manuel.

Tony...yeah, they are old, but essentially they've never been played on. And the guitar really has not been out of the case since I switched back to bass for maybe more than an hour.

The issue with switching strings is I'll never really know until I play in a band situation again as a guitarist. I can fire up the amp at home and rip out on it, and it won't be the same thing as a gig.

Oh well...I do want to use it more, so I think the amp comes home after tonights rehearsal. Yes, a heavy bugger...I'll need an engine lift to get it into my car!

500K pots are the way to go. You can get the effect of this by de-soldering one of the volume pot grounds. This way you can see how you like it before the expense and hassle. I did this and then used a jumper wire to put the ground in and out for A-B comparisons. This will effect both pickups no matter where the pickup selector is because both pots are always in the circuit on a Rick.